Hello Friends,
I apologize for not having written yet. The past week has of course been a whirlwind, and the craziness will likely not subside until I am back in my apartment in New York. I write to you now on a Czech computer in Prague. Let me highlight the past week, as briefly as I can, and mostly so I have these thoughts written down somewhere in a cohesive manner. I will of course add in the details when I have more time and a better computer. So please stay tuned.
Munich
My entire experience in this city was overshadowed by our attendance at Oktoberfest, without a doubt, one of the most fun experiences Ive ever had. We stayed with our German friends Christiane and Flo the first night, who became our personal tour guides for the four days of our stay. We stayed in a hostel the second and third night, and then left for Salzburg late the fourth night. Christiane remarked how all Americans love to use superlatives. But when every experience builds upon the last, upon all the experiences that have preceded it, I feel confident in my usage of such superlatives. So yes indeed, Oktoberfest was AMAZING. Over a million visitors per day. Disneyland for drunkards. Such pride and camaraderie. Over Eight Thousand people in a tent. One liter beers at a time. Singing and dancing on tables. Americans do not know how to have a good time.
I pretty much did not sleep the first forty eight hours of the trip. On my first night, I attended Oktoberfest with my travel companions Elissa and Kristen, our hosts Christiane and Flo, as well as their friend Blade. On the second day, after a brief stint in Rosh Hashana services, we explored the city, including a hike to the top of St. Peters Cathedral, a walk through the market, and a bike ride slash stroll through the English Garden, their equivalent of Central Park.
Day Three was spent two hours away in Fusse, where we explored Hohenschwangau Castle and Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Cinderellas Castle. The German countryside is breathtaking, a vivid materialization of all my life long dreams and fantasies. The story of Ludwig the Second, who lived in Neschwanstein Castle all alone, was very interesting, and I'm surprised it hasn't been made into a movie yet. See, Ludie lived in a fantasy world. He wanted time away from his overbearing mother, and did not want to participate in all the wars. He wanted all these magnificent castles built instead, and he wanted people to participate in the arts and enjoy their lives to the fullest. This did not go over well with the government, and he was exiled to Munich, where he mysteriously drowned three days later in knee deep water, despite being an excellent swimmer. He had four incredibly lavish castles built. He pranced around like a dandy. Had mommy issues. A special relationship with Wagner, whose operas inspired all the bloodless art throughout the castles. Oh, and in the chapel, there is a painting of Jesus, flying high on a rainbow. Ludie, was obviously a frutie. And we found it rather funny that the Germans kept using the term "mysteriously" to describe his actions. Therefore, Elissa, Kristen, and I have taken it upon ourselves to write the musical, "Ludie the Frutie". Every day, we have written very dirty and pun filled song and dance numbers, with music inspired by the likes of Cher, Madonna, and Celine Dion. Its pretty hysterical. We should be done by trips end. Oh, and Ludie is played by a Black Trannie. I digress.
Dachau
Day Four was spent a half hour outside Munich at the concentration camp in Dachau. My friend Kelly from California joined us for the day, as well as the night before. The site is very large and expansive. The museum is burdened with too much information. It became redundant and overwhelming. We watched a documentary, but one kinda tires of seeing dead body after dead body on a screen. Elissa had a tough time, and decided to head back to the train station to wait. I crossed the large open space to the religious monuments in the back, where I stumbled upon a little
monastery. I was alone. I prayed. Or at least I tried. I cant remember the last time I heard silence like that. Silence that felt deafening, if that makes any sense. Again, overwhelming. A large bell rang, and about ten nuns walked in and opened the screen door in front of me. They chanted. I was the only other one in the room. I just sat there, in this barren candlelit
monastery on the Dachau site, the very first concentration camp, just kinda stunned. I got pretty teary. The main nun looked up at me. I felt intrusive and decided to leave. So I headed to the showers and crematorium of course. Dread. You just feel kinda sick the whole time. Standing on the ground of endless screams and cries. Through the whole experience though, you still feel a great sense of
gratitude. I am here because of so many people who have influenced the courses of action for my ancestors. They fought so hard to create a life for their children, and their
children's children, so that I may stand here today, pursue my dreams, and explore my heritage. I thank them all from deep within my heart, and that is why I am here in Europe for these three and a half weeks. Really. As a token of gratitude. How awesome to make it an incredibly joyous and adventurous experience as well.
Salzburg
Days Five and Six were spent in
Salzburg, Austria. We decided to spend an extra night because we got to the train station so late from our second venture to Oktoberfest the night before. On our first day in
Salzburg, we took The Sound of Music Tour around the city, and over the hill to Lake
Fuschl and
Mondsee. Yes, those hills were very much alive. Probably with the sound of
muuuuuusiiiiic. Our incredibly
mischievous and flamboyant guide Peter was a riot, posing and strutting and reenacting scenes from the movie. It was a very cold and rainy day, so that was a bit of a bummer. But you can easily tell that
Salzburg is one of the most beautiful little cities in the world. I could very much see myself moving to a little Austrian village.
I'm seriously debating it. The idea feels so right. For a bit. Not years, but at some point, Id love to live a meager little existence in the middle of Nowhere, Austria. In the evening, Kristen, our roommate Rob and I ventured through
Mirabell Gardens to
Schloss Mirabell, a gold and marble room where we saw the
Nuovo Trio
Faure play a set of
Suk, Mozart, and Dvorak. There were about thirty people in the room, mostly older Austrians. Mozart played in this room as a young boy with his father. The music was incredible. I was especially keen on Dvorak. "
Adante. Vivace non
truppo" for the cello, violin, piano trio was one of the most beautiful things Ive ever heard. Yes. It. Was.
On our second day in Salzburg, the sky started to clear up a bit. We roamed the city a bit and headed up to the Modern Art Museum on top of the hill opposite the palace. There was a special exhibition on The Art of Sound. Very fun and worthwhile. Now, the sad news to report. I accidentally formatted the memory card on my camera shortly after our visit to the museum, losing all the pictures from my first week of the trip. This is pretty devastating, as I had what I thought were some of the best photographs Ive ever taken in my life. I had been taking lots of videos as well, so I will very much miss my performance of "I am Seventeen Going On Eighteen" with Elissa at the Sound of Music gazebo, where I pretend to break my leg in the middle of the song. Very very funny stuff. I quickly wrote down as many photographs as I could remember. Thankfully, all is not lost. Kelly had my Munich videos on her computer, and Kristin has been taking a lot of pictures as well. Regardless, I mourn many of those shots. My photography is very important to me.
So. Now I write to you after my first day in Prague, which Ill have to catch you up on the next time I write. I feel like a million things have happened every day, so I do plan on detailing more of these adventures in the future. Its honestly very hard for me to imagine going back to life in America. I know I'm not working over here, and I know that this life is not standard. But exploration has always been my middle name. Ever since I can remember, I would embark on lofty adventures, oftentimes even in my backyard, making up elaborate stories to support the journeys. I feel strangely at home over here, as if I live in the wrong part of the world sometimes. Its like, how could I ever return to a life of the banal and ordinary? Not that my life has ever felt as such. Every day here is astounding. And yes its all new. And yes it could grow old. But I would like to live and WORK over here at some point. I feel like I don't agree with the standard values of America. And with the direction its heading, I don't want to give up on it, or lose faith in my country, but I want to live a different life. I'm going to keep contradicting myself, because I can say I want to escape McDonalds and Perez Hilton and consumerism and reality TV, but then I can walk outside here in Prague and find glimmers of that around here as well. Of course, its here because of Americas influence. So if I say that all I want in life is music, food, wine, beer, family, friends, and art - that has nothing to do with location, and I can create whatever life I want for myself back in the states, regardless of location or any social norms. Still, I want to live here for a bit, preferably before I'm thirty years old. When I can articulate my reasoning better, and when I am wide awake, I will let you know why. This life is not a fantasy. It can be very real. I want to inspire and help people find joy in their lives. To question their lives, to maintain ongoing conversation, and to simply enjoy it for all that it is. That is what I want to do with my life. Life. Life. Life. Blah. Blah. Blah. Life is whatever you want it to be.
With Love,
-m
Prague - Outside Kafka Museum
